Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“What about your family?” Valentin asks. “Will they go along with it?”
“Some will, some won’t. I’ll have to convince my brother, and that will go a long way toward winning over certain factions. But in the end, we’ll come together.”
“Good.” Valentin puts a hand on my leg. It’s almost possessive, and I struggle not to smile at the gesture. “Tell us where to find Miriam.”
Arsen gives me an address. I type it into my phone. “It’s only a half hour from here,” I say, feeling closer to my mother than I have since she was taken.
“Don’t go yet,” Arsen warns. “The place is well guarded during the day, but things get lax at night. That’s your best bet.”
“And after?” Valentin asks.
Arsen gets to his feet. He walks away and looks back over his shoulder. He’s tall and handsome in a scarred and brooding sort of way.
“We’ll discuss that later. Good luck.” He walks off, blending in with the crowds, and disappears down the path.
I lean my head on Valentin’s shoulder. He puts an arm around me and hugs me close. We don’t say anything for a few minutes, and I let myself bask in the glow of a renewed and rekindled hope for a better future.
“I’m sorry, you know,” I say very quietly. I tilt my head up and kiss his jaw. “I fell apart, and I shouldn’t have.”
“I understand why. You don’t have to apologize.”
“You want me to be strong, right? Hiding in that room wasn’t strength. It was just me being weak.”
“No, malishka. Strength is not about kicking down doors and storming through every problem. Strength is about persevering. Strength is about surviving. And here you are, doing both.”
I lean closer and kiss him. He returns the kiss with a low, smoldering fire, and when we break apart, I stare into his eyes, and I run my fingers through his hair. “I love you,” I tell him, and I’ve never been more sure of something in my life.
“I love you too,” he says, and I kiss him again.
We stay there for a while enjoying each other and the afternoon, a quiet lull before the world breaks apart again.
Chapter 39
Valentin
The house looks like any other. It’s a quiet Baltimore suburb in a town called Towson. Narrow roads, green grass and lots of trees, and the homes are spread out enough that the neighbors won’t be paying much attention. It’s the perfect spot to keep a kidnapped woman without drawing much attention. Hidden, secluded, but still close enough to the city that it’s accessible.
It’s also perfect for a rescue.
“Your team sweeps the bottom,” I tell Anton as he gets himself loaded and kitted up. We’re parked a quarter mile away in the pitch-black darkness beside a shallow forest. He yanks the strap of a bulletproof vest tight. “I’ll take the second floor.”
“What about the surrounding area?”
“Leave a small team to check it. Have them focus on the back. You saw the trees?”
“Fucking woods could be hiding anything.”
“We focus on the house.” I ram the slide of my sub-machine gun and check to make sure it’s loaded. “Nobody leaves here without Karine’s mother.”
When it comes, the moment of doubt is subtle. It’s not like Anton says something or overtly goes against my commands. He wouldn’t do that, not when there are other soldiers nearby, and not right before a dangerous operation.
But I know him, and I see it nonetheless.
“If there are problems—” he starts, but I hold up my hand for silence and gesture with my head for him to follow me. We walk away from the other men as they’re preparing, and although they’re giving us curious looks, they can fuck themselves.
I speak softly so nobody can overhear. “Tell me what you’re thinking and be fast. No bullshit.”
He nods once, face going hard. “This is a big risk for your mother-in-law. We have to worry about more lives than just hers.”
I expected that. I had hoped Anton trusted me enough to know that this wasn’t only about a personal vendetta, but sometimes a leader had to know when to speak his mind. I can run the Bratva with fear and violence sometimes, but other times I have to know when to explain myself.
“This isn’t just about Miriam,” I tell him and put a hand on his shoulder. “This is about proving that Arsen is actually turning against his father. If that happens, we have a way to end this war before it really kicks off. And that will save far more lives than we might lose tonight.”
He nods slowly and glances back over my shoulder toward the soldiers. “I’ll make sure they understand then.”
“If this is a trap, get everyone out. But if it’s not, we’re bringing Miriam back home. We owe her that much.”
“I’m with you.”
“I knew you were.” I squeeze his shoulder then push him back over to the men. “Go on, make sure they’re prepared.”